ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Monica Gargicevich has passion for stained glass

Glass artist Monica Gargicevich found her talent 14 years ago when she started taking stained-glass lessons from Riverside artist Judy Davies. She was looking for a hobby to relieve stress and recharge her batteries from the pressures of raising five daughters and working full time. Her interest quickly developed into a passion and she found Davies to be a welcome mentor who encouraged her to let her artistic abilities blossom.

When her oldest daughter started middle school Gargicevich was looking for a way to work from home to be more available and supportive of her daughters through their teen years. Gargicevich found limited success selling small pieces of stained glass at local art fairs, but felt the desire to expand her involvement without quite knowing how. She needed to sell a lot more pieces to bring in sufficient income.

A chance meeting at an art show provided the answer. Gargicevich was approached by a priest who commissioned 16 stained-glass windows for a church near Pasadena. âThat order came from heaven. It was like a miracle,â states Gargicevich. After receiving the commission, she felt ready to leave her regular job. She opened MD Stained Glass as her business and began work on the windows. The priest ordered four more windows and since then she has received additional custom orders that provide the job stability she needs.

âMonica has created a series of stained-glass windows for my church, Victoria Presbyterian, here in Riverside. When I saw her brochure, I found a beautiful window that I thought would be perfect in the window over the front door of my 1936 house in the Wood Streets area. She reduced the size of the original, which I have purchased for a new room addition, and now her re-creation is installed over my front door. Monica is a talented artist and a delight to work with,â states Steven Kester, director of music at Victoria Presbyterian.

âPairing light with colors produces a magical effect. It uplifts and inspires the senses and, in turn, brings us joy. It helps take the religious messages directly to the peopleâs souls,â states Gargicevich. Most commissions for stained-glass windows are for churches and places of worship. However, stained glass has become increasingly popular in businesses and private residences.

Another commission was for Riverside City College. âMonica is an extremely talented artist who can capture beauty and emotion in the smallest of pieces to a large piece, as demonstrated in the Riverside City College seal located in the clock tower of the Quadrangle. She is extremely dependable, interprets the needs of the buyer, and delivers on the shared vision,â states Linda Lacy, former president of Riverside City College.

Gargicevich currently specializes in both commercial and residential windows as well as creating a variety of other items in a full range of sizes. To view more of her work, visit her website at www.mdstainedglass.com

The Community Foundation is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation serving the residents of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. As a philanthropic leader, The Community Foundation is widely recognized for its convening and collaboration building initiatives, including the Arts & Culture Initiative. For more information about the Artist Spotlight, contact The Community Foundation at 951-241-7777 or info@thecommunityfoundation.net.

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